300 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Table showing hy months the fjross weight and value of catfish handled at Morgan City, 

 La., during the years 1892 to 1897, inclusive. 



' On account of the yellow fever quarantine from September 21 to November 13 no fish were shipped 

 from Morgan City between those dates. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



That the fishery industry of the Atchafalya Eiver has seriously 

 decreased in importance during the last few years is evidenced by the 

 foregoing statistical table, though the actual decrease in abundance of 

 these valuable fishes is only partially shown. The great falling-olf in 

 tlie (;atch of 1896 and 1897 over that of 1895 is such as to seriously 

 threaten the industry. Until recently only the larger fish were accepted 

 by the dealers. The tisherinen liberated and returned to the water all 

 the individuals of small size. But during the last two years the great 

 difficulty of getting a sufficient number of large fish to supply the 

 demand has induced both the fishermen and the dealers to utilize 

 the smaller fish. The tendency has been to accept smaller and smaller 

 fish each succeeding season until now a great many are used which 

 dress scarcely more than a pound each. When it is remembered that 

 these small fish, if allowed to escape for a few years, would attain a 

 weight of 20 to 100 pounds, the improvidence of t\w methods now in 

 vogue becomes apparent. 



The injury to the fishery resulting from the catching of undersized 

 fish is not the only one from which the industry is sutfering. The con- 

 tinuance of fishing throughout the spawning season must result disas- 

 trously to the business. The destruction of the fish when nearly ready 

 to spawn can not be defended on business grounds. Every large female, 

 if permitted to live through the spawning season, will produce from 



